Thanks for the quick reply Steve.
I want the original arrangements of several specific songs because (a) I
need to develop a specific program containing specific songs that
closely match specific arrangements, and (b) I would like to learn how
to place some instruments into digital files note-by-note, and then add
additional tracks using a midi wind controller, that I have not yet
learned how to play.
I can understand how a publisher might not make a lot of money marketing
the arrangement of one song; but it also doesn't cost a lot to reproduce
an arrangement via scanning and pdf or the like, if in fact the arranger
made any kind of written document.
I suppose eventually software will improve and we will be able to
"reverse engineer" any music file back to its sheet music equivalent for
every instrument -- and at the same time produce a midi file that will
let us play with the basic note information digitally.
While waiting for that program to be perfected and priced down to my
level, I should probably spend some time learning to play a scale.
Best wishes
Richard Galli
Visit our new topical humor site
The Galli Report - better than news any day
http://www.gallireport.com
Steve Latham wrote:
> "Richard Galli" <info@gallilaw.com> wrote in message
> news:tb04h.22$rU2.13@newsfe14.lga...
>> Suppose I want to find printed sheet music for the arrangement of a
>> particular song or album. When songs or albums are released, are their
>> arrangements generally made available anywhere?
>
> No. It's a business and many times sheet music will not be printed until a
> publisher is sure that the tune will be popular enough to warrant sales.
> Furthermore, in some styles of music, where there are written scores, it's
> less costly for the publisher to make a sheet music arrangement than paying
> someone to arrange a pop song by ear since the original musicians didn't
> write anything down.
>
>> For example, let's pick Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow" as arranged by
>> Billy May for Ella Fitzgerald's "Harold Arlen Songbook released by Verve.
>> Is it possible to purchase the sheet music anywhere for that specific
>> arrangement?
>
> There might be, but it would be uncommon. Sheet music in general is not
> accurate to any particular arrangement. Most modern sheet music is in
> Piano/Vocal/Guitar style, which usually means there's a Piano part which
> plays the vocal melody as it's uppermost note, and Guitar chord charts, or
> chord changes put in (as letters). There are people who release highly
> accurate song books for various reasons, usually because a band or artist
> has had some significant impact and releasing a "just like the record"
> transcription is marketable. In these, they transcribe everything note-for
> note from the recording.
>
> Most likely you're only going to find the original P/V/G arrangement of Over
> the Rainbow out there.
>
>> I have tried Googling till my fingers were bloody, but nowhere could I
>> find the sheet music version of that Billy May arrangement. And if I can't
>> find it for that one [considered by some folks to be the "song of the
>> century"], I doubt I will have much luck finding specific arrangements for
>> other songs I want to study.
>
> I think your best bet Richard, rather than frustrating yourself by trying
> to come up with a tune and hunt down the music for a particular arrangement,
> is to go to a Sheet Music site (or local music store that carries plenty)
> and see what kind of things are out there. Let's be realistic, it's 2006,
> and the vast majority of the sheet-music-buying public is not interested
> enough in a particular arrangement of an "old" song to warrant publishing it
> (typically). You will instead find plenty of Rock/Pop bands (and a little
> contemporary Jazz) with note-for note transcriptions of guitar and bass
> parts. There are comparatively few note-for-note transcriptions of pop piano
> music in fact. I have seen some accurate stuff for Bill Evans, and Miles
> Davis, and those "gargantuan" figures who were instrumental (pun intended)
> in some way in music history. While Ella is certainly of that status, we're
> talking vocalist and not instrumentalist, and it's assumed that no one wants
> to learn to sing Jazz from written music and they don't publish much
> note-for-note vocal stuff.
>
> A little browsing (though also frustrating) will show you what you're up
> against. Then, when you do find a complete accurate transcription of some
> particular tune/collection, it might be one of the very few out there - but,
> you can at least learn from the arrangement. And who knows, once you find
> one, you might discover a publisher who does niche materials and find some
> more similar stuff.
>
> Happy Hunting,
> Steve
>
>
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